Premier Li Qiang has called on the G20 economies to promote the widespread application and effective governance of artificial intelligence.

The premier made the remarks when attending the second and third sessions of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday and Sunday.

Li also urged promoting healthy and orderly development of AI in a direction that is beneficial, safe and fair.

The premier and other G20 leaders on Sunday hailed multilateralism.

The final day of their weekend summit – boycotted by the United States – kicked off with a searching discussion on how the G20 can survive in a fragmenting world.

"We are not experiencing a transition, but a rupture," acknowledged Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to journalists just before the summit session.

"Too many countries are retreating into geopolitical blocs or the battlegrounds of protectionism," he said, but added: "In every rupture resides the responsibility to build – nostalgia is not a strategy."

US President Donald Trump's government snubbed the event, saying South Africa's priorities – including cooperation on trade and climate – ran counter to its policies.

In a joint G20 statement issued on Saturday, the leaders present said they were meeting "against the backdrop of rising geopolitical and geo-economic competition and instability, heightened conflicts and wars, deepening inequality, increasing global economic uncertainty and fragmentation".

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa admitted "challenges", but said: "The G20 underscores the value of the relevance of multilateralism."

The UK-based Oxfam charity said "South Africa has set an example to the world in ensuring the G20 stood firm and collectively agreed on a leader's declaration – defending multilateralism – despite powerful opposition".

And on the sidelines of the summit, Premier Li said China is ready to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with Italy and forge a more stable and fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries as he met with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni. (Xinhua/AFP)